


Misguided Version of a Couple's Costume

by kissoffools



Category: Superstore (TV)
Genre: Celebrations, Costumes, F/M, Halloween, Holidays, ToT: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-21 02:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12448140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissoffools/pseuds/kissoffools
Summary: Halloween may be Amy's favorite holiday, but that doesn't mean she wants to dress up in Jonah's misguided version of a couple's costume. Unfortunately, he didn't give her that choice.





	Misguided Version of a Couple's Costume

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Diaphenia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diaphenia/gifts).



“Hey! You two match!” 

Amy looked down at her red coat and tried not to blush. 

It wasn't like they planned this. It wasn't like she and Jonah talked on the phone the night before Halloween and decided to dress in complimentary costumes, or anything. That would be way too weird—and definitely not something two platonic coworkers would do. This was a complete coincidence.

Her joking text she sent him two weeks ago with the picture of the big red hat she’d found at Goodwill definitely had nothing to do with it.

Probably.

That’s what she was going to tell herself, anyway.

“Well, hey, we do!” Jonah said, grinning at her through his round Where’s Waldo glasses. That red and white hat really did look ridiculous on him. “I guess we found you at last, Carmen San Diego.”

“Very funny,” Amy said, rolling her eyes and trying not to smile too wide. His cutesy demeanor shouldn’t be rewarded. “Come on, we still have seven hours before the store closes and we can start the party. Cheyenne, aren’t you supposed to be over in Accessories?”

“Oh, right.” Cheyenne nodded. “I just thought it was funny.”

“No, yeah, I get it.” Amy forced a little smile—after all, this wasn’t Cheyenne’s faut. “It’s hilarious.” 

When she and Jonah were finally left alone, Jonah took a step towards her. The grin on his face slid away, and he looked down at her, unsure.

“Hey,” he said, an uncertain note in his voice. “If you want me to change, I can. If I ditch the glasses I can probably make a case for being a seasonally-inappropriate candy cane.” 

“Didn’t you do Brexit last year? I figured you’d show up in another costume like that. You know, something smug and clever that would go over most people’s heads and make you look kind of stupid.” Was her tone too bitter?

“No, I—I mean, I was going to be Donald Trump’s tiny hands, but when I got that picture of your hat… I don’t know. I know how much you love Halloween.” Jonah shrugged. “I just thought dressing up in a costume that went with yours might make you smile. I’m sorry.” 

Amy sighed, pressing her lips together for a moment. That was so Jonah—sweet, well-intentioned, and annoying. She couldn’t be annoyed with him for trying to cheer her up, especially at this time of year. But between trying to balance her new single mom schedule with her work hours and her classes… well, she just couldn’t bring herself to enjoy his misguided version of a couple’s costume. 

“No, you can keep the costume on,” she said finally. “Just don’t stand next to me all day. I really can’t handle seven hours of lost and found jokes.”

Jonah offered her a smile. “You got it, Carmen.” 

***

By the time they shut down Cloud 9 for the night, Amy was in a much better mood.

They hadn’t had any real rush of crazies, which was unusual for Halloween—she’d worked eight October 31sts at Cloud 9, and every one of them had its memorable nutjob. And while she got the occasional comment on her costume, they were all pretty complimentary. Jonah stayed true to his word, mostly spending his time floating around electronics and not getting involved in her business. It was little things like that, Amy thought, that made her like Jonah as much as she did. When he made mistakes, no matter how ridiculous, he did his best to make things better. 

But now it was party time, and she needed to spend far less time thinking about Jonah Simms.

“Come on, everyone!” Amy called, standing at the edge of the floor. “I’ve got cupcakes and snacks in the break room. I know everyone has plans and you want to get out of here, but come hang out for just a little bit, okay?”

“Why are you trying to keep us hostage here?” Garrett asked as he wheeled himself past her and down the hallway. “We put in our time. We paid our dues. Let us be free!” 

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like you’re not going to take four cupcakes home with you.”

“I can be free with cupcakes!”

***

The party, much to Amy’s dismay, didn’t last long.

Not that she expected everyone to spend their whole Halloween in the Cloud 9 break room. She wasn’t delusional. She knew that everyone had lives—though in some of her coworkers’ cases, that was a loose term. And could she blame them? When she was married, she would have been rushing out of there right away, too. To get home to spend the evening with Adam or go trick or treating with Emma. It certainly wasn’t everyone’s idea of a good time to hang out and eat Jack-o-Lantern cupcakes and drink fruit punch with the people they were already obligated to spend thirty-five hours a week with. 

She was just hoping the whole store wouldn’t be empty in fifteen minutes.

“Really, Glenn? You can’t stay?” she called as Glenn tugged on his coat.

“I’m sorry, Amy! Everything looks so nice!” Glenn said with a little shrug. “But I told Jerusha I’d get home as soon as possible. We’ve had kids egg our house before and she wants me to stand in the dark with a flashlight and shine it on anyone who comes near our property line.” 

“Okay,” Amy said, unable to hide the deflated tone she knew was in her voice. “Well, take some candy for the kids.”

Glenn held up a bag that, if Amy was being honest, she thought was stuffed a little _too_ full. He could take her candy, but he couldn’t hang out for more than five minutes? “Got it!”

The break room door swung shut, and Amy sighed. Well, so much for Halloween plans.

“Well, at least you don’t have a bunch of leftovers.”

Amy looked up from her spot by the remaining few cupcakes to see Jonah, watching for a moment as he tossed away the used cups on another table. “Hey, no, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to do that.”

“It won’t take long,” he said with a shrug. 

“No big plans tonight?” 

“My porn will still be waiting for me when I back to Garrett’s.” He grinned, and then immediately shakes his head. “I’m kidding, sorry. I didn’t mean to be gross. I have no plans.” 

Amy put an elastic band around the small amount of potato chips still left in the bag and laughed regretfully. “Well, join the club. Mine were clearly a short-lived success.” 

Jonah’s smile crept back. “Hey, I don’t know. This was really nice. You didn’t have to bring all these snacks in for everyone.”

She shrugged. “Emma’s out with her friends, and… well. You know.” For some reason, saying _and I didn’t feel like going home to an empty house_ felt too personal. She was supposed to be better off now that she and Adam weren’t together, wasn’t she? Happier? Isn’t that what she’d been telling everyone these past few months?

Holidays don’t feel happy with less people.

“We could go do something,” Jonah suggested. 

Amy snorted. “Another German horror film like last year? No thank you. I know you meant well, and everything, but all that really got me was a Halloween nap.”

He was quiet for a moment as he stepped towards her, passing her some clean napkins. “It doesn’t have to be something for Halloween.”

When she looked up at him, she was hyper aware of how much taller than her Jonah is. And how close he was standing to her in that moment, his eyes looking right down into hers. 

“Oh, well,” she faltered. Her mouth went dry. “I… I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“Why not?”

Why couldn’t she look away from him? “Because I’m still in the middle of a divorce.” 

Jonah’s eyes fell away from hers. He fidgeted. “Right. I know, I’m sorry.” And he took a step backwards, out of her space.

Neither one of them were expecting it when Amy’s hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him in and down towards her, reaching up to catch his lips in a kiss.

It lasted longer than the first one, all those months ago. His hands came up to rest on either side of her face, holding her gently while hers settled on his hips. The way he held her and his lips against hers made her head spin, and she didn’t know what was more confusing: the fact that she was the one who initiated, _again_ , or that she wanted to do it again the moment they broke apart.

“Sorry,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t really expecting myself to do that.” 

He breathed out a little laugh, offering her a small smile. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” His fingers played with the ends of her hair, and it made her smile back.

“Apparently.” Amy laughed, quietly. “But I did mean what I said, right before I jumped you. With everything that’s going on… I can’t even think about this kind of thing right now.” She waved her hand between the two of them. 

“No, I get it.” Jonah nodded. “You’ve got a ton of other things to think about right now. _My_ head’s spinning, and I’m single as hell.”

“I’m really not trying to lead you on, or anything.”

He smiled again. “I know.”

She tilted her head. When she spoke, this time, her voice was soft. “Thank you for understanding. It means a lot.”

“Anytime.” 

Jonah handed her the last of the party supplies, and then picked up his bag. With a little wave, he headed towards the door of the break room. She watched him go, the feeling of kissing him circling in her head.

“But hey, Waldo?” 

Jonah paused in the doorway, turning. “Yeah?”

“Maybe ask me to do something again in six months?”

His face broke into a little grin—one that was way too cute for its own good. How did he always manage to be annoying and adorable at the same time? God, when had she started to think of Jonah Simms as adorable?

“You got it,” he said with a nod. 

The grin on her face, now, matched his. “Cool.”

“Happy Halloween, Carmen.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween, Diaphenia! :)


End file.
